(COLOMBO, LANKAPUVATH) –Tax on highly sweetened drinks will re-imposed in order to protect Sri Lankans from Non Communicable Diseases (NCDs) such as diabetes, cancer, kidney diseases, heart diseases, hypertension etc, Health Ministry spokesman said.
According to the spokesman, the final decision on taxing highly sweetened drinks to be taken during the discussion to be held at the Finance Ministry on next Friday morning.
The tax will be imposed on all highly sweetened drinks except fruit juice which contains six (6) grams of sugar in them. The relevant cabinet paper has already presented to the Cabinet by the Health, Nutrition and Indigenous Medicine Minister Dr. Rajitha Senaratne but the Finance Ministry asked for two weeks to approve it, he said.
Earlier the tax on highly sweetened drinks was there but the 51 day Government removed it. Daily only four spoons of sugar required for a human being but sweetened drinks provide a lot more than that causing many NCDs in people, he added.
